Burial casket



A` M. TANNR BURIAL GASKET Filed Sept. 6, 1934 Aug. 11, 1936.

Patented Aug. 1.1, 1,936

s'rrss PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to burial caskets and more particularly to suchGaskets as are known as davenport caskets and which are arranged topresent the appearance of a davenport before the 5 casket is closed forburial.

Caskets of this general type have been designed but their resemblance toa davenport has been remote and their construction and arrangement ofparts are such that the caskets have been clumsy,

l heavy and expensive.

Therefore one of the objects which I have in View is the provision of adavenpo-rt casket which vwhen opened up will present the appearance of aconventional davenport.

l Another object in View is the provision of removable back and endmembers which may be temporarily applied toa casket to give it theappearance of a davenport, and which are dis` mounted from the casketbefore the latter is closed for burial.

repeatedly and the cost for individual burials is not materiallyenhanced.

Other objects will appear from the following description.

Generally speaking the basis of my improved davenport casket is a caskethaving sockets or slots in the top edges of its back'and ends in whichare stepped dowels depending from the back and end members whichcomplete the davenport lappearance, the end members having dependingfacings which conceal the corners of the casket.

The back and end members are covered with cloth of the desired color orshade, which cloth in the case of the end members is selected to matchthe lining of the casket. The covering for the back members may be partof the lining of the casket, and when the back members are removed suchcovering may be folded forward over the body vas a blanket.

I use a casket having a drop front provided with a valance which dependsand thus conceals the front of the casket.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a practicalembodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a perspectiveView showing my casket set up as a davenport.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the back and end members removed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the casket closed.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective showing one of the end members.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing one of the 55 back members mountedon the casket.

Thus such members may be used' Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of theback members.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the same on slightly reduced scale.

Referring to the drawing, I represents the 5 casket having permanent endwalls 2, back Wall 3 and lower front wall 4. The upper front wall 5 ishinged to drop forwardly. The top surfaces of the end and back walls areprovided with the sockets or slots 6. These sockets may be formed l0 byusing a notched insert 6', Fig. 5. y

1 represents the lid of the casket which is preferably wholly removableinstead of permanently hinged and is laid aside until the casket isclosed for burial. 15

8 represents cushions or pillows which form :the surface upon which thebody rests, said cushio-ns being of suicient thickness or depth toextend to the top edge of the permanent front Wall 4. 20

. When the casket is to be given the appearance of a davenport, the lid1 is removed, exposing thesockets 6 and the front 5 is dropped forwardlyand concealed by a valance 9 which is secured to the front interior ofthe casket. 25

Back members I0 are then mounted on the back wall 3 of the casket, theirlower edges resting thereon and being held firmly in position by thedowels II depending from the said members and engaged in the sockets 6.30

, The members I0 are formed of suitable frames such as of wood and areoverstuffed as is usual in davenport backs. When in place they ttogether end to end to complete the davenport back. 35

I2 represents a cloth like that with which the casket is finished whoselower end is attached to the lower back wall 3 in the interior of thecasket. This cloth is drawn up over the back members I0 and stretched inposition by means of 40 clips I3 on the ends of helical springs I4attached to the back centers of the members I0. The cloth I2 is providedwith division tapes I5 which correspond to and are drawn by the springsI4 into the lines between adjacent ends 45 of the members I D. When thedavenport features are to be removed and the casket prepared for closureand burial, the cloth I2 is released and drawn over the body as ablanket.

The end members I6 are also formed of over- 50 stuffed framing and arepreferably curved upwardly and outwardly as shown in Fig. 1 to closelyresemble the ends of a conventional davenport. These end members arecovered with material like that of the nish of the casket, and

which of course requires changing when required. The end members arestepped on the top of the end walls of the casket and held in place bydowels H engaged in the sockets 6.

The end members I6 are provided at the front with depending facings orskirts l1 which with the valance 9 conceals the ornamental end portions|8 of the casket.

From the foregoing it is obvious that a burial casket, which when closedhas the appearance of an ordinary casket, may be arranged to give theappearance of an ordinary davenport upon which the body rests, extracushions I9 being preferably provided to enhance this resemblance.

My invention when applied to a casket adds but little to the expense, asthe changes in the structure of the casket itself are slight andinexpensive, and the back and end members may be used repeatedly.

If desired a continuous back member may be used, but by using aplurality of the same they may be applied to diierent lengths of casketswithout inconvenience.

My invention may be applied to Gaskets made of any material such aswood, metal, etc.

I claim:-

1. In a davenport burial casket, the combination with a casket having axed back, xed end Walls and arranged to receive a removable lid,

of back members arranged to be superimposed on the back wall of thecasket, end members arranged to besuperimposed on the end walls of thecasket, .depending extensions on the end members arranged to conceal thefront corners of the casket, and means for detachably holding said backand end members in position.

2. In a davenport burial casket, the combination with a casket having axed back Wall, xed end Walls, xed front wall and arranged to re- -ceivea removable lid, the top portion of the front wall being hinged to swingoutwardly and downwardly, of end members arranged to be superimposed onthe end walls of the casket, means for detachably holding the endVmembers in place,

and depending extensions `on the end members arranged to conceal thefront corners of the casket.

3. In means for arranging an open casket to simulate-la davenport, thecombination of overstuffed back and end members arranged to bedetachablyvmounted in xed position on the top edge of the casket, and acloth permanently attached to the interior of the casket and arranged tobe drawn over the back member.

4. In means for arranging an open casket to simulate a davenport, thecombination of overstuffed back and end members arranged to bedetachably mounted in xed position on the top edge of the casket, acloth permanently attached to the interior of the casket and arranged tobe drawn over the back member, and tension means carried by the backmember to stretch the cloth on the latter.

5. In means for arranging an open casket to simulate a davenport, thecombination of a plurality of back members having indented lines ofjuncture therebetween and arranged to be detachably mounted in fixedposition on the top edge of the casket, a cloth permanently attached tothe interior of the casket and arranged to be drawn over said backmembers, and vertically disposed vseams in said cloth which engage saidindented lines when the cloth is stretched over the back members.

6. In means for arranging an open casket yto simulate a davenport, thecombination of a plurality of back members having indented lines ofjuncture therebetween and arranged to bedetachably mounted in xedposition on the top edge of :the casket, a cloth permanently attached tothe interior of the casket and arranged to be drawn over said backmembers, vertically disposed seams in said cloth which engage saidindented lines when the cloth is stretched over the back members, andtension means carried by the back members to tautly stretch the cloth onthe latter.

'7. Meansfor converting a casket including'side and end walls normallyin predetermined xed relation, comprising separate attachable members,means for detachably connecting said members to said side and end wallsto form extensions thereof, said members and Walls providingsubstantially continuous side and end walls simulating a couch inassembled relation, and facing means associated with the assembledstructure providing a harmonious exterior land normally excluding orconcealing `from View sufcient of the lines of the casket to portray va

